CHARLOTTE – Results in preseason NBA basketball usually mean little to coaches, executives and even fans.

But for the Charlotte Bobcats, a three-game winning streak is significant even as it included Thursday’s 110-84 blowout win over the depleted Philadelphia 76ers in front of 16,283 in the annual midday “Cool School Field Trip” game at Time Warner Cable Arena.

“It’s like a lot of times in preseason when you’re not playing against their rotation guys,” first-year Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said. “So you come out expecting to guard Thaddeus Young, expecting to guard Spencer Hawes and expecting to guard Evan Turner and there could be a letdown.

“But our guys played hard.”

More importantly, they also played really well.

The Bobcats (3-2), who next play in Greensboro Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks, scored the game’s first 12 points, led 25-10 after one quarter, 58-28 at halftime and by a game-high 39 points (95-56) before taking the 26-point victory.

It was the first start-to-finish victory of Clifford’s initial preseason, as the Bobcats had to rally to win against Milwaukee and Cleveland in their previous two contests after losing to Atlanta and Miami to open their exhibition schedule. After Saturday’s game, Charlotte hosts Cleveland next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. before closing its preseason next Friday at the New York Knicks.

Charlotte opens its regular season Oct. 30 at Houston with the home opener on Nov. 1 against Cleveland.

Ben Gordon led Thursday’s effort with an efficient 22-point effort that featured seven of nine overall shooting, a perfect four-for-four on 3-pointers, four of five from the free throw line and three assists.

“That’s what he is: a proven scorer,” Clifford said of Gordon.

With reserves playing as much as starters, Jeffery Taylor and Cody Zeller added 13 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench. Starter Kemba Walker also had 13 points. And Bismack Biyombo’s seven rebounds and Ramon Sessions’ six assists were team leaders for the Bobcats.

Clifford started Walker and Gerald Henderson at guards, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Josh McRoberts at forwards and Biyombo at center, each playing 19 or more minutes. Sessions, Gordon, Taylor, Zeller, Anthony Tolliver and Jeff Adrien each played 13 or more minutes off the bench.

“We’ve played five really good defensive games,” said Clifford, whose team has allowed 39.3 percent shooting while forcing 20.0 turnovers per game. “You have to be pleased with what we’re doing on that end of the floor.”

Tony Wroten, a second-year guard, came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points for the 76ers (2-3).

You can reach Richard Walker at 704-869-1841 or by twitter.com/JRWalk22